RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a schedule that sends the proposed Catawba County school merger to a hearing Dec. 2–3, with a vote to follow, according to a joint statement from the superintendents of Hickory City Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools.
The statement, posted Sept. 3, 2026, says General Counsel Tiffany Lucas presented the recommended process and timeline during the Chairman’s Report, and the board approved it without dissent.
It is the first calendar the State Board has locked in for deciding the plan since the Catawba County Board of Commissioners sent it to Raleigh in June.
The schedule
The joint statement lists these dates:
- Oct. 5, 2026: Hickory City Schools, Newton-Conover City Schools, and Catawba County Schools may each submit briefs and supporting materials to the State Board.
- Oct. 26, 2026: The Catawba County Board of Commissioners may file a reply brief.
- Nov. 4–5, 2026: The merger comes before the State Board as a discussion item so members can review the filings before any hearing.
- Dec. 2–3, 2026: The State Board holds a hearing. Each party presents, followed by questions from board members. The board then deliberates, consults legal counsel as needed, and votes on whether to approve the plan.
The statement does not say whether that vote would come the same day as the hearing.
What the districts said
Nothing has been decided. “The proposed merger has not been approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education,” Superintendents Dr. Jennifer Griffin of Hickory City Schools and Dr. Emily Shaw of Newton-Conover City Schools wrote.
They called the Oct. 5 deadline an opportunity for the school systems to make sure the State Board hears directly from the districts and has the information needed to understand how the proposal could affect students, staff, families, schools, and communities. They said they will approach that filing thoughtfully and thoroughly and will keep their communities updated.
The county’s plan, adopted 3-2 by commissioners in April and submitted to the State Board in June with an updated filing in July, would merge Catawba County Schools, Hickory City Schools, and Newton-Conover City Schools into a proposed Catawba Valley School District effective July 1, 2028, if the State Board approves it.
Source: Official release from Hickory City Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools, Sept. 3, 2026. https://www.hickoryschools.net/about/news/news-detail/~board/hickory-city-schools-news/post/message-from-hcs-superintendent-dr-jennifer-griffin-and-n-ccs-superintendent-dr-emily-shaw-joint-update-on-the-school-merger-review-process
